Of Flowers that Weep
by Still-Birth
Summary: Because a forced marriage is always harder when you've already known each other. UlquiHime.


A/N: This time, Sami wrote the first chapter.

* * *

Chapter One

-

_Peace and War are siblings. One was born before the other, but none can remember which is older, for they cannot live without each other. _

-

* * *

They win the Winter

The shinigami cheer and cried and celebrated. For a week, they did nothing but those things. After 2 weeks, they began to reconstruct buildings that had been destroyed. They tried to fix thing as it was before the War happened. And, in a way, they did. People didn't forget the war, but they moved past it.

In Hueco Mundo, they did the opposite.

The arrancars fed off there fallen comrades, or they wept. For a month this happened. Endless feeding and crying. After 3 months, the remaining arrancars began to fight each other.

A bloody civil war began within half the year.

Five arrancars, the most powerful of them, united and killed any who resisted to go under their rule.

Within 5 years, the number of arrancars increased to that of Aizen's old army.

After fifty years, the arrancars returned to Soul Society once more.

But this time, it was not for war, but for something much more unconvincing.

Peace.

* * *

"As I have said, this treaty will only be with the Arrancars. We will assist in capturing any stray Gillian, but we cannot suppress the Adjuhas and the Vasto Lordes," said Halibel. She was sitting across the table from the General Captain, discussing the bonds and means of their treaty.

"What about the hollows--"

"To include any rogue hollow will disrupt the balance of the world. Shinigami were created along side the hollows to purify them. Hollows are formed almost everyday. Their numbers would ultimately tip the balance," Halibel explains.

"Before you and your company retire, I would like to address another affair," said Yamamato as he looked across the room. "An address mentioned by the Royal Family themselves."

* * *

Halibel stared.

This was not going to happen. She could deal with any other negotiations besides _this_. The shinigami were being ridiculous. Hadn't they thought about the aftermath? What it would do to the careful balance of the arrancars and shinigami?

"No," she said flatly.

The Commander captain frowned slightly at the woman across the table. "The Royal family has agreed to this. It is traditional for an arranged marriage to happen. Any children they produce with be a testament to our treaty."

"Children?" Halibel couldn't believe how stupid these people were. "Don't you realize what kind of child that would be? It'd be a half-shinigami, half-hollow hybrid. It could mean danger, imbalance--"

"There are arrancars and vizards. There have been cases of a shinigami-human hybrid. We are aware of the risks, Halibel-dono," said one shinigami, the vice captain of the 12th division.

"But there had _never _been a case of a child--"

"There have been reports of hollows raping--"

"Yes," her voice cold, "There are cases of such things, but those are so few in number. Hollows are _infertile _until they become arrancar. Because their anatomy resembles a shinigami, a hollow child might be born through the union of 2 arrancars, like a spirit child is through the mating of souls, but a shinigami and an arrancar--"

"Halibel-dono," the 12th division vice captin said, "we have thought of all the possibilities. The child might become something like Kurosaki Ichigo, a danger, an enigma. Or it could be so weak, it wouldn't matter if it died or not. It could have birth defects, psychological problems or physical malformations. We are prepared for anything."

There was a pause in the room.

The silence stretched to the point of being uncomfortable, with the espada's eyes roaming around the room, the arrancars still and stiff behind her.

"Have you thought of the pair to arrange this marriage with?" Halibel asked quietly.

It took more than a heartbeat to answer. "Yes."

"And you will force the girl to marry--"

"Who said it would be a girl?" someone asked, sounding almost offended.

"Eighty-nine percent of the arrancars are male. Female hollows are rare. Most female spirits go to Soul Society, or are purified more than male hollows. The few females we have are scattered and will refuse this," the woman replied evenly. "So that leaves us with giving the male. Forty-seven percent of the shinigami population are female. You have a higher percentage of females, so you will provide her."

Halibel stood up from her chair, then, and looked across the room to Yamamto. "The peace treaty is done, for now. The captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 and I and the 3 other Espada will smooth down the edges of this treaty. Then we will sign." Her eyes traveled across the room, piercing and cold. "And then we will present our sacrifices."

* * *

Halibel sat down at the table and sighed, irritated.

"That can't be good," Stark commented from across the table, chin resting on his palm. "What's wrong?"

"You were at the meeting," she said, "you should know."

"I was asleep," he confessed with nonchalance, "tell me what happened."

"The Royal Family will only agree to this if there is an arranged marriage."

"What, they really asked for that? Didn't they think…"

"They have told me they have thought of all the circumstances," Halibel said, resting her elbows on the table. "But they don't know how the bride might be treated, and if she were to get pregnant…"

"They are giving us the girl? Surely it would be easier to wed one of our own to--"

"And give her to the shinigami? Never. The weak ones won't last longer than a year in Soul Society, and the strong females are scattered throughout Hueco Mundo. Even if we did find one, she will likely refuse."

"If they do give us a female, she has a high chance of getting attacked by the other Arrancars," Stark said, "and if she were to get pregnant, than the chances of surviving through labor is practically less than 20%."

"I was thinking off pairing her with one of our Espadas," Halibel confessed. "Her chances of assault are minimum if her husband is an Espada. On the account of a child, it is likely we will bring her to Soul Society for a Cesarean section. Or, preferably, we can restrain the powers of the baby so it will not damage her internally."

"Have you an Espada in mind?"

"Yes, I have," Halibel replied.

"It can't be Grimmjow. Neliel would be furious."

"They are the only Espada pair that are likely to have a child."

"You're breeding them or something?" Stark asked, raising an eyebrow

"No, but the chances of an arrancar baby are likely. I would like to see one."

"Nezumi is too dimwitted to take care of her," Stark said.

"I agree," Halibel nodded. Nezumi wasn't the smartest of the Espada, and he certainly wouldn't treat the girl as correctly as others.

"Kuroitori wouldn't be the greatest match, either," Stark said. "He's much to violent for the women of Soul Society. Plus, I saw him eyeing one of the lower-female arrnacars before we left."

Halibel nodded. "Akatsuki is too young and new to the Espada to have this dumped upon him."

"So…that leaves…"

"I think so."

"But he wouldn't really care for the girl--"

"He would give her what is necessary to survive. He will protect her and it is about time that he is paired with someone," Halibel stated.

"Yes, I suppose so. I have been a little concerned when it comes to him…"

"Then we shall give him as our offering?"

"The word 'offering' seems somehow misplaced, Halibel-chan," Stark told her. When she raised an eyebrow, he sighed. "You really should stop using words that match your representation."

"I do not know what you are talking about," she said. "…So…do you agree we will give him to this marriage?"

"He won't like it."

"He'll do it if I tell him too."

Stark sighed. "That's exactly why I'm worried for him. He'll do it because you tell him to, despite how he feels."

"Are you agreed or not?" Halibel asked

Stark sighed again. Then, shifting over to her, he sat next to her. Lazily, he reached up toward her face to pull the collar down. He had something else on mind. But as much as he told himself he missed her, the truth was, he didn't want to answer. "Stark--"

"Agreed," he mumbled before kissing her.

* * *

A/N:

S: I got to pick the pairings!

N: And I got to create the OCs.

N&S: THANK YOU!!!


End file.
